The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to electrical connectors that electrically couple circuit boards with one another.
Blade server systems may include several blade server circuit boards that are mounted to a backplane board. In some known blade server systems, the blade server circuit boards are loaded into a server box in a parallel relationship. For example, the blade server circuit boards are loaded into the server box through a front face of the box so that the blade server circuit boards are approximately parallel with respect to one another. A backplane board may be provided in the server box and may engage the blade server circuit boards when the circuit boards are loaded into the box.
Connectors may be mounted to the backplane board to mate with the blade server circuit boards and electrically couple the backplane board with the blade server circuit boards. The connectors may be disposed along a back side of the box that opposes the front face of the box such that the blade server circuit boards are loaded into the housing in an insertion direction that is the same direction in which the blade server circuit boards are moved to mate with the backplane board. The backplane may impede the flow of air through the box from the front face to the back side of the box. For example, the backplane may block air that passes through the box along the insertion direction. Blocking this air may prevent the blade server circuit boards and electrical components mounted thereto from adequately cooling during operation.
Some known server systems include a motherboard located along a bottom side of the box. The motherboard includes connectors that mate with the blade server circuit boards such that the motherboard and blade circuit server boards are oriented perpendicular to one another. These connectors mate with the blade server circuit boards in directions that are perpendicular to the loading direction of the blade server circuit boards. But, the known connectors require twisting or rotation of one or more components of the connectors to mate the connectors with the blade server circuit boards. These connectors may be fairly complex and involve several interconnected components working together. If one or more components fail or become misaligned with one or more other components, the connectors may be unable to mate with the blade server circuit boards.
Thus, a need exists for a simpler connector assembly that interconnects two circuit boards disposed in a perpendicular relationship without significantly restricting the airflow through the housing in which the circuit boards are located.